The effect was immediate. A soldier who put the helmet over his mouth and drank the drink with a gulp, his face turned red and his complexion returned. His eyes twinkled like starlight. The voice that was moaning from hunger, thirst, and pain regained its strength and became deep and thick. Although it did not heal the torn and broken wounds, Eutostea’s drink supplemented the soldiers’ energy, as she had promised.
The tired soldiers also wanted to taste it and swallowed their saliva, but they gave every last drop to the wounded soldiers. They shook the empty helmets and scraped off the remaining drops and drank it from the side of their hips. Maecades approached Eutostea. The suspicion in his eyes had subsided.
“…Can we say that this proves I’m not a spy?” Eutostea asked, but she didn’t have any remarkable abilities to boast about. She thought of the soldier who had drunk her drink and passed away to the underworld. The soldiers with broken legs, torn arms, and serious trauma seemed to have barely eased their pain after drinking her drink. It wasn’t a cure-all, as Macaedes had thought. But that alone was enough. “I want to help in any way I can, sir.”
Maecades found resolve in her eyes. Had she cut her hair of her own will? The face of a woman with short hair looked gaunt. Her cheeks were so sunken that they dropped below her cheekbones, and her mouth stubbornly stayed shut. As the wind passed, Eutostea moved like a painting and pinned a strand of hair behind her ear. She met his gaze with confidence, indicating that even if he drove her away, she wouldn’t back down.
“Thank you for offering your drink to the soldiers,” he said politely.
“Priestess Eutostea. No, Your Highness.”
He corrected his title.
“Do you really believe that I am a princess, without any evidence?”
“It doesn’t matter much.”
“Even though my identity is uncertain?”
“Then should I call you priestess?”
“Just Eutostea is fine.”
“Understood, Eutostea. Would you like to come to my tent and talk more?”
His words were permission for her to stay here a little longer.
Eustatheia nodded her head and let out a relieved sigh.
Macaedes walked ahead, and she followed behind him, gazing at his blue cloak. As they passed through the fortress walls, which were covered in brown withered ivy, a wide open space with collapsed rafters and roofs came into view. Dirty utensils were scattered around, and there was a spot where a charcoal fire had burned.
The commander’s quarters were covered in dark brown cloth and had an octagonal column structure. Although it was called the commander’s quarters, there were signs that many people had lived there simultaneously.
Soldiers who were checking their weapons and resting went out upon Macaedes’ command, indicating that the conversation with Eutostea was of vital importance.
“There are no chairs available. Would it be okay for you to stand?”
“Yes.”
“We dismantled everything we could use for firewood during the winter.”
“It seems like it.”
Eustatheia saw about seven pieces of rough-hewn wooden boards on the ground that couldn’t be called beds. It reminded her of the thick hide of a female deer that Apollo had caught. Sleeping on one of them would be much more comfortable, but she was as destitute as the man in front of her, having only escaped the temple with her body.
Macaedes unsheathed a sword that was as long as his forearm and untied the cloak that was slung over his shoulder. The blue cloth was stained with someone’s blood. He laid down the sword and the shield, planning to clean them later. In a state of disarmament, he looked at Eutostea.
He was young for a commander, and also handsome. However, for Eutostea, who sees Apollo and Dionysus every day, she valued more his straight gaze that was not engulfed by the fierce bloodshed despite wielding a sword on the battlefield. His eyes were a deep blue color.
“Eutostea, do you know that the palace of Thebes has been captured?”
“Yes, I heard the news from those who visited the temple.”
“How much do you know?”
Eustathia slowly revealed the information she knew: The Theban flag was trampled under the Marean army’s boots, and the fate of the captured family members was unknown. A grim expression crossed her face. Macaedes nodded as he listened to the information she provided, confirming that it was all true.
“Officially, Thebes has fallen.”
“….”
The confirmation of death is unbearable.
“We intend to hold out until the end here. Our ultimate goal is to restore the palace and revive Thebes. We know that our current strength is no match for the Marean soldiers who serve the god of war, Ares. Even though our numbers have increased to match the existing troops, we are still being mercilessly killed at the end of the spear. They are like elephants, and we are like ants. We can push with force and step on them eventually, but for now, it’s a tight situation. The only good news is that we are still fighting.”
Eutostea listened to his words with a restrained expression.
“Maerea is a typical dense formation, maintaining a solid formation like a rock with shield soldiers at the forefront. It is much stronger and more refined than the infantry equipment of Teve. However, research has shown that the left flank wants to break through more than the right, and if the formation breaks, their cohesion will also be broken. The strategy of attacking with cavalry and destroying the left flank has been successful with minimal casualties. Yesterday, today, and even now, we have achieved victory with the least amount of casualties. However, soon we will reach our limit as supplies are excessively scarce. Nevertheless, everyone here is willing to defend the country until they die with glory, even if it means that they will eventually die. They are people who have offered their patriotism.”
When mentioning a glorious death, Macaedes’ eyes shone resolutely. Eutostea interrupted his words and asked a question.
“Why defend this place?”
It was a valid question.
The fortress was not functioning properly. It was exposed to the enemy because of the hills in front of it. The poorly maintained stone walls had collapsed in many places, and even the shabby roofs had been dismantled to make firewood for the soldiers.
There were many risks involved. So why defend this place as the last bastion? Maekades answered.
“There are villages behind us. The people who were unable to leave the country that has become a sea of fire are staying there. The grains harvested last autumn are piled up in their homes. If they abandon it all and are forced to migrate to Korintos until winter is over, they will either starve to death or freeze to death. Who would generously accept the people of a defeated country? That is why we are holding on until spring, hoping for the grace of God.”
“Do you think you can hold on until spring?”
“We will sacrifice ourselves as long as we can.”
Eutosteaia bowed her head. The more resolute his face was, the more ashamed she felt.
“I want to help too.”
“What is the Princess’s goal? Is it to rescue the royal family members who have been taken captive?”
The effect was immediate. A soldier who put the helmet over his mouth and drank the drink with a gulp, his face turned red and his complexion returned. His eyes twinkled like starlight. The voice that was moaning from hunger, thirst, and pain regained its strength and became deep and thick. Although it did not heal the torn and broken wounds, Eutostea’s drink supplemented the soldiers’ energy, as she had promised.
The tired soldiers also wanted to taste it and swallowed their saliva, but they gave every last drop to the wounded soldiers. They shook the empty helmets and scraped off the remaining drops and drank it from the side of their hips. Maecades approached Eutostea. The suspicion in his eyes had subsided.
“…Can we say that this proves I’m not a spy?” Eutostea asked, but she didn’t have any remarkable abilities to boast about. She thought of the soldier who had drunk her drink and passed away to the underworld. The soldiers with broken legs, torn arms, and serious trauma seemed to have barely eased their pain after drinking her drink. It wasn’t a cure-all, as Macaedes had thought. But that alone was enough. “I want to help in any way I can, sir.”
Maecades found resolve in her eyes. Had she cut her hair of her own will? The face of a woman with short hair looked gaunt. Her cheeks were so sunken that they dropped below her cheekbones, and her mouth stubbornly stayed shut. As the wind passed, Eutostea moved like a painting and pinned a strand of hair behind her ear. She met his gaze with confidence, indicating that even if he drove her away, she wouldn’t back down.
“Thank you for offering your drink to the soldiers,” he said politely.
“Priestess Eutostea. No, Your Highness.”
He corrected his title.
“Do you really believe that I am a princess, without any evidence?”
“It doesn’t matter much.”
“Even though my identity is uncertain?”
“Then should I call you priestess?”
“Just Eutostea is fine.”
“Understood, Eutostea. Would you like to come to my tent and talk more?”
His words were permission for her to stay here a little longer.
Eustatheia nodded her head and let out a relieved sigh.
Macaedes walked ahead, and she followed behind him, gazing at his blue cloak. As they passed through the fortress walls, which were covered in brown withered ivy, a wide open space with collapsed rafters and roofs came into view. Dirty utensils were scattered around, and there was a spot where a charcoal fire had burned.
The commander’s quarters were covered in dark brown cloth and had an octagonal column structure. Although it was called the commander’s quarters, there were signs that many people had lived there simultaneously.
Soldiers who were checking their weapons and resting went out upon Macaedes’ command, indicating that the conversation with Eutostea was of vital importance.
“There are no chairs available. Would it be okay for you to stand?”
“Yes.”
“We dismantled everything we could use for firewood during the winter.”
“It seems like it.”
Eustatheia saw about seven pieces of rough-hewn wooden boards on the ground that couldn’t be called beds. It reminded her of the thick hide of a female deer that Apollo had caught. Sleeping on one of them would be much more comfortable, but she was as destitute as the man in front of her, having only escaped the temple with her body.
Macaedes unsheathed a sword that was as long as his forearm and untied the cloak that was slung over his shoulder. The blue cloth was stained with someone’s blood. He laid down the sword and the shield, planning to clean them later. In a state of disarmament, he looked at Eutostea.
He was young for a commander, and also handsome. However, for Eutostea, who sees Apollo and Dionysus every day, she valued more his straight gaze that was not engulfed by the fierce bloodshed despite wielding a sword on the battlefield. His eyes were a deep blue color.
“Eutostea, do you know that the palace of Thebes has been captured?”
“Yes, I heard the news from those who visited the temple.”
“How much do you know?”
Eustathia slowly revealed the information she knew: The Theban flag was trampled under the Marean army’s boots, and the fate of the captured family members was unknown. A grim expression crossed her face. Macaedes nodded as he listened to the information she provided, confirming that it was all true.
“Officially, Thebes has fallen.”
“….”
The confirmation of death is unbearable.
“We intend to hold out until the end here. Our ultimate goal is to restore the palace and revive Thebes. We know that our current strength is no match for the Marean soldiers who serve the god of war, Ares. Even though our numbers have increased to match the existing troops, we are still being mercilessly killed at the end of the spear. They are like elephants, and we are like ants. We can push with force and step on them eventually, but for now, it’s a tight situation. The only good news is that we are still fighting.”
Eutostea listened to his words with a restrained expression.
“Maerea is a typical dense formation, maintaining a solid formation like a rock with shield soldiers at the forefront. It is much stronger and more refined than the infantry equipment of Teve. However, research has shown that the left flank wants to break through more than the right, and if the formation breaks, their cohesion will also be broken. The strategy of attacking with cavalry and destroying the left flank has been successful with minimal casualties. Yesterday, today, and even now, we have achieved victory with the least amount of casualties. However, soon we will reach our limit as supplies are excessively scarce. Nevertheless, everyone here is willing to defend the country until they die with glory, even if it means that they will eventually die. They are people who have offered their patriotism.”
When mentioning a glorious death, Macaedes’ eyes shone resolutely. Eutostea interrupted his words and asked a question.
“Why defend this place?”
It was a valid question.
The fortress was not functioning properly. It was exposed to the enemy because of the hills in front of it. The poorly maintained stone walls had collapsed in many places, and even the shabby roofs had been dismantled to make firewood for the soldiers.
There were many risks involved. So why defend this place as the last bastion? Maekades answered.
“There are villages behind us. The people who were unable to leave the country that has become a sea of fire are staying there. The grains harvested last autumn are piled up in their homes. If they abandon it all and are forced to migrate to Korintos until winter is over, they will either starve to death or freeze to death. Who would generously accept the people of a defeated country? That is why we are holding on until spring, hoping for the grace of God.”
“Do you think you can hold on until spring?”
“We will sacrifice ourselves as long as we can.”
Eutosteaia bowed her head. The more resolute his face was, the more ashamed she felt.
“I want to help too.”
“What is the Princess’s goal? Is it to rescue the royal family members who have been taken captive?”
